How To Become A Web Host

One of the biggest benefits of being a reseller host is making money. Not only are you making money, but you're creating a regular, predictable income for yourself from home. And you have something good to show for it - your own business.

Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a 'Get Rick Quick' spam or scam page - I'm not saying you're going to become a millionaire overnight, I'm not saying you need to buy a marketing course or a magical book that will change your life. You might only have a handful of customers, and that may suit you fine. Alternatively, you can grow your business into a full-time job and become well-known in the industry. It's up to you which direction you take it in.

Here are some other advantages:

• You don't need to pay for set up costs, hardware or anything else like that. The most you can lose is the cost of your reseller hosting, which shouldn't be more than £30 ($48 USD) per month.


• If you decide reseller hosting isn't for you, you can just walk away from it without losing anything, provided you pick a host which allows you to cancel anytime. You could even sell your business on.


• Being a reseller host is an extremely flexible job. It fits around most lifestyles and careers, and can even become part of your business and save you money if you're a web designer, developer, or make websites on a regular basis. Rather than letting another web host look after your clients' websites, host them yourself and continue to make money every month.


• If you already have a website, you may already be paying for hosting. So do your own hosting and get discount!


• You can customise everything, including branding all your products with your own logo, creating your own hosting packages, and setting your own prices.

It's extremely simple. All you need to get started is a good web host and a credit or debit card.

The hardest part is finding a web host which offers everything you need. Not all web hosts offer reseller hosting, and even those that do may have secret hidden costs or limited flexibility. It's best to choose a web host that not only allows you to resell hosting and domain names, but also has a range of other products you can sell on to your customers at a profit (for example SSL certificates, domain privacy and business email accounts).

I would thoroughly recommend Heart Internet's reseller hosting package. They offer unlimited websites, unlimited space and bandwidth, and free round-the-clock support. You can have as many customers as you like and set up as many websites as you like. Plus, they have a great in-built system called HostPay which allows you to automate billing and orders.

One of the best things about reseller hosting with Heart Internet is that they take a lot of their resellers' suggestions on board and carry on improving their package. Additionally, everything is completely brandable so your customers don't have to know that you're a reseller host if you don't want them to.

As well as a web host and a means to pay (as listed above), you'll also need the following:

1. A basic website. If you don't know how to make one yourself, then you can learn via the resources on this page or Google 'hire a freelancer' and find a cheap designer.

2. Some free time. Initially most of the work will be promotion and marketing as you get your name out there. Don't worry if you only get a small trickle of customers to start with.

As you get more confident (or if you have plenty of free time), you can work on developing extras such as a Facebook fan page, a monthly newsletter, and developing your product range.

If you get stuck or have a problem, simply contact your web host's support team. This is one of the reasons why it's important to choose a good host with 24/7 support. Heart Internet uses a ticket system staffed by UK experts to answer questions super fast.

The best way to get customers when starting out is via word of mouth. If you have a following or fan base on a website such as Facebook or Twitter (or even Squidoo), then post a link to your site. Be careful not to spam or annoy people by repeatedly linking to your web hosting site though!

It's a good idea to set up a referral or affiliate program so your customers can earn a bit of money for recommending their friends. Have a look at Heart Internet's affiliate program and refer a friend pages for inspiration.

You can also buy links on Google page results with Google Adwords to help strangers find your website.

There are also endless forums, web directories and other sites you can leave your link on. You can also promote your services via Squidoo, LinkedIn, and various other networking websites.

If you're not very confident, start off by only selling the basics: domain names and web hosting. Once you become more comfortable with how everything works, take some time to explore your control panel and look through all the customisation features and add-ons.

You can also announce new products and features as you add them, and figure out what people are interested in buying and what they don't want. It's a good idea to have a blog on your website so you can provide a more personal front to your company and make announcements. Many hosts offer a WordPress one-click install so you don't have to worry about installing and configuring WordPress from scratch.

Think about what you would like from a hosting package or hosting company, and work from there. If you don't have much experience with web hosting, then ask friends or web designers on Twitter what the most important things are to them. Many people will say that price and support are the most important features.

• You'll be selling web hosting via your website, so make sure it looks professional and trustworthy. It's worth spending the extra time or money on perfecting your site so customers stay interested.


• Add clear contact details on every page of your website, so people don't get frustrated trying to contact you.


• Expect your biggest investment to be time; you need to build up your website and customer base.


• Don't price your products too low. It's tempting, but unsustainable over time.


• Add as many products to your range as possible. You don't have to add them all at once, but give your customers a choice. You will make money on everything they buy.